Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

Hi , The peak , and average traces are corellated ... Oone changes , though at lesser degree , with the other .... If you were looking to use multiband expansion ... it's often easy to recognise frequency ranges that have been compressed , by the two traces being generally closer together than the r...

Cool Jan ,

I'd be intrigued to hear your impressions ....
One bonus ... you will have a calibrated mic for use with another RTA ... should you wish to examine your room in greater detail ....

Cheers ,

Evan .

Hi , One technique for getting a multi-miced drum kit 'tight' as a stereo group , is to create an imaginary spot , somewhere centrally above the kit , calculate the distance between said 'spot' , and each drum , and apply the necessary delay to each , to have them aligned at that spot ... Works real...

Hi ,

Another explanation for the distortion you are hearing , is that it's intersample 'overs' in the iPod's DAC ...
SSL have just released a free plug to measure these , and good explanation of the phenomenon ....

http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/X-ISM.html

Cheers ,

Evan .

Hi ,

My suggestions as to using expansion in mastering is to do it by ear ... low threshold , and very low ratios , with attack/release to taste .. as general principles ...
Do be aware that any expansion you do will make for more aggressive limiting , further down the chain ....

Cheers ,

Evan .

Hi Jan , Oddly enough , it was researching the IKMedia plug that got me interested in the hardware unit ... and my use of Har-Bal ( among other things ) , that had me abandon thoughts of the plug .. To explain , that plug is meant to be used as the last in your DAW chain ... i.e. you'd need a DAW op...

Hi , I'm with Paavo re: the 'colour' of outboard eqs ... or indeed the plethora of recent plugs claiming to be emulations of devices with famous 'colour' .... In the analogue word , eq is achieved through controlled phase shifts , and I'd suspect therein comes the 'colour' ... and the adjustments we...

Hi Phantasm , I'd suggest do what you're doing ... although I find it easier to do this in the DAW I'm mastering with ..... Select a range over a representative 'loud' section ... and measure the average RMS of that .. and adjust gain to suit .... And do similar with all the trax .... There's a litt...

Hi Dave,

You could use the 'limiting' meter , down the bottom of HB , as a guide . If you set your gain such that no green bar is seen in it ( which is difficult because it gives no indication of approaching overs .... just when it is ) , your file will be ~0.1dB ...

Cheers ,

Evan .

Hi Dave, It might pay to be aware that the HB meterage is of power , not sample reading ... and the figures you cite seem not unusual ... Your clipping ( if you're reading it from HB's meter ) could happen in any event where a boost is filtered in . HB has a clamped output of 0.1 dB ....... it would...

Hi Andy , Dunc has dicussed the story with the traces .... which are a visual desription of the power ( read volume ) through the audio spectrum ... Bass on left ... Treble on right ... So by moving the traces you are changing your eq ... The 1/3/6/12 allows you to select difference resolutions ( am...

Hi , I'd have said not ... it's the act of compression that can distrub your spectral balance .. For example , a big bass peak ( not uncommon ) can pull down the level of the whole spectrum ( when the tops didn't need it ) . I'm with Earle in principle .... use of surgical corrective eq ( as few dev...

Hi Fred , To weigh in on your original question ... IMO , the 'best' limiter is one that is the clean , and offers the most flexibility in terms of controlling attack/release , mode ( RMS/peak ) , can be hard/soft , has a variable knee , and switchable/adjustable look-ahead .. Many 'mastering' limit...

Hi , No more than ever ... By reducing spectral peaks , you are lowering the amount of subsequent compression you'll need ... In other words , the same compressor settings should result in less compression with a less masked , peak-tamed equing ( presuming you don't take the limiter up ) . Some like...

Hi ,

Just checking ... You have got the 'EQ' icon depressed when you recpord your file ???... Sounds to me like you're recording without the filter engaged ...

Cheers ,

Evan .